


This Heart Can't Go On

by bitsnbobs



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Brief ref to self-harm, Chas is anti-Rob and anti-Bex, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Moving On, Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 22:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11367240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsnbobs/pseuds/bitsnbobs
Summary: Aaron and Chas return to the beach and have a conversation.WARNING: This is a fic where Aaron has ended things with Robert.





	This Heart Can't Go On

**Author's Note:**

> This was prompted to me by someone. It's not how I think things will happen- I'm actually all for being positive now (See my fic; Stand By You)- but I am willing to try and write different things. But, yeah, a warning again- Aaron has left Robert in this fic. If you don't want to think about these things then I suggest you don't read.

“Mum?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Can we go to the beach?”

“…of course we can, love.”

…

It was warm this time. They weren’t alone as they sat side-by-side on the sand, Aaron’s arms linked round his mum’s, his head resting on her shoulder. He smiled as a child went flying by, yelling something about a shell he’d found. 

“It was still the best day of my life,” Aaron said, remembering old conversations. Memories of uncomplicated happiness. 

Chas shifted beside him and ran a hand down his arm, “Oh love.”

She sounded sad and Aaron didn’t want her to be. He detached his arm and looked at her, “It’s ok, mum. It will be ok.”

She tilted her head and considered him, “I love you.”

“I know,” Aaron nodded, “I love you too.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Chas sighed but then seeing a pain cross her son’s eyes, she added, “I’ll visit though. It’s not like Ireland’s that far.”

“No,” Aaron agreed, “And, well, Liv will hardly let you get away with not coming.”

“She’s a great kid,” Chas smiled, “We became quite the team.”

“Yeah,” Aaron snorted, “Sandra was loving that.”

“Oh well, Sandra can-"

“Mum,” Aaron interrupted before she started ranting. 

“Sorry,” Chas said, looking at least a little chastised. A breeze blew hair into her face and she brushed it aside, “You fancy an ice-cream?”

Aaron wrinkled his nose, “Yeah, but later yeah?” He pointed up the beach to the hut selling food, “Wait until that line has gone.”

Chas looked over and frowned, “Huh. Bloody holidays. Children everywhere.” Aaron sniffed, he was staring at a woman cradling her baby. He shifted when she caught his eye and fiddled with his sleeves; his light shirt covering scars less faded these days. Chas turned back to look at him with concern, “Are you sure you’re ok?”

Aaron shrugged, “Yeah…just, babies, you know?”

“Oh love,” Chas’s face dropped, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think.”

“I asked to come here, mum,” Aaron pointed out, “And it’s not like I can avoid babies, children, forever just because- just because-"

“You’ll get passed it,” Chas said, reaching out and taking his hand, “The move will help.”

“Yeah,” Aaron squeezed her hands, letting him know he appreciated the support, “A fresh start.”

“Definitely,” Chas sounded positive, “And Liv is looking forward to it.”

Aaron let out a little huff of a laugh at that, “I’m worried she’s a bit too excited. I mean, she actually wants to start school.”

“She did make some friends over there though,” Chas reminded him, “The time looking after Sandra did her some good.”

“She skypes them all the time,” Aaron smiled and ran a hand down his face, “I don’t think I am going to be bored. Bunch of teenagers round my house every night.”

“The house is?“

“It’s sorted now, yeah. The landlord got the deposit the other day,” Aaron told her, “Sent it as soon as the sale of the scrapyard went through.”

Chas nodded, “Adam’s going to miss you, you know?”

“Nah,” Aaron shook his head, trying to brush off thinking about that, “He’ll be too busy helping his mum back on the farm.”

“He’ll be visiting you as much as possible,” Chas said, seeing through her son’s bravado and giving him a nudge, “It’s be like you never left the amount of visits you’ll get.”

Aaron snorted, “Great, at this rate, I’ll have a house full of teenagers and the whole of Emmerdale bothering me. And here I am trying to get away from it all.” Chas knew it was supposed be a joke but she couldn’t stop her shoulders from dropping and Aaron instantly knew he’d hit a nerve, “I’m sorry, mum- I didn’t mean-"

“I get it, love,” Chas bobbed her head, “I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.”

Aaron closed his eyes and took a breath. A moment where it was all too much. They were becoming less frequent these days but it didn’t make them any easier. When he opened his eyes, he realised his mum had pulled him into her chest and he relaxed into her hug.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, realising he must have spaced out and had her worried. 

Chas pulled back, “You don’t need to apologise for anything.”

Aaron nodded, and realised this was it. This was the time to say a particular thing. He sat up a little straighter, hoping it would give him the strength to get through it, “Look mum, I need you to leave Robert alone, ok?” He held up a hand as Chas looked likely to interrupt, “No, I mean it. This is devastating for him and despite what people think, he does have a heart. He has a really big one.” Aaron’s voice started to break but his mum let him go on, “He's a good man and needs to focus on his kid now. His kid will make him happy. He’ll love that child. And he’ll be loved. He deserves that.”

“He doesn’t deserve that,” Chas countered bitterly, “Why should he get that? And I still can’t believe you left him the house?”

“Liv didn’t want the money back,” Aaron stated, his mum knew this already so he was growing frustrated, “Come on, mum, you know all of this. Please don’t go there.”

'There' was Gordon. 'There' was Rebecca. 'There' was Rebecca being the one to convince Aaron to use the money to buy the house. 'There' was Rebecca sleeping with his husband in the house. 'There' was Robert and Rebecca’s baby being conceived in that house. 'There' was pain. 'There' was ruin. 'There' was hate. 

Liv couldn’t let it go. And in the end, neither could Aaron. 

“Sometimes, I want to strangle that-" Chas seethed, “And that bloody slapper, I could-"

“Leave Rebecca alone as well,” Aaron cut in, “She isn’t worth it. And I don’t want- I don’t want- an innocent kid growing up with issues because of how it came to be. It’s not the kid’s fault.”

Chas gave up trying to argue and just smiled sadly at her son, “You are such a good man. I’m so proud-"

“Don’t” Aaron interrupted, shaking his head, “Don’t”

“But it’s true, love,” Chas frowned, at her son’s dismissal. 

“No,” Aaron looked at her through tears, “Vic’s right. She said- she said- that the Aaron she knew would be able to get passed this. The Aaron she knew wouldn’t give up.”

“Vic said that?” Chas was becoming angry. 

Aaron shrugged, “Perhaps, she’s right. But I’m tired, mum. I’m so tired. I tried to make it work. I love Robert, I do, but-"

“Sweetheart,” Chas pulled him in to another hug, “You don’t have to explain to me. And Vic… I could give her a slap as well.”

Aaron smiled despite himself and curled in further to his mum. His mum. The first relationship in his life to crumble, but one that had been rebuilt stronger. 

But he was done rebuilding now. His heart couldn’t handle any more forgiving and forgetting. 

And if that meant he wasn’t the same man anymore then perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing. After all, that man had known too much pain. 

…


End file.
